Cancer is a worldwide problem. Finding novel compositions and methods for the treatment of cancer is of vital interest. The treatment of cancer falls into three general categories: chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Often, therapies are combined since a combination of therapies increases the probability the cancer will be eradicated as compared to treatment strategies utilizing a single therapy. Typically, the surgical excision of large tumor masses is followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
Cancer starts as a primary tumor at a single location. The primary tumor rarely causes death as it is usually surgically removed. Once cancer cells move away from the primary tumor site (migration, dispersal, and invasion) and move to distant sites (metastasis) the cancer becomes more deadly. The migrating, dispersing, and invading cancer cells can rarely be detected and must be treated by conventional chemotherapy. Conventional chemotherapy does not specifically target cancer cells but affects a number of rapidly dividing normal cells.